CNOR COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
●● What the wound classification for vaginal hysterectomy?
Answer: Class 2
●● The CRNA is attempting to open the 25-year-old man's mouth for
intubation but the jaw is tight and she's having difficulty. Then the nurse
notices that the patient's capnograph is rising dramatically. As the CRNA
continues to struggle to open the jaw to intubate, the patient's heart rate
and blood pressure are rising. What is the appropriate response for the
perioperative nurse?
Answer: These are early signs of Malignant Hyperthermia. The
perioperative nurse tells the CRNA what she's seeing. The perioperative
nurse calls the OR desk to ask for help and that the MH cart be brought
to the room.
●● The 19-year-old patient arrives to the OR within 2 hours of a
traumatic open Tib/Fib fracture for ORIF. What wound class is it?
Answer: Class 3
A fresh open trauma is classified as Contaminated (Class 3), A fresh
trauma is one that is less than 4-6 hours old at the start of surgery.
●● Patients with one or more of Virchow's triad are at increased risk for
,Answer: Deep vein thrombosis
●● The Spaulding classification system is used to determine:
Answer: Appropriate methods to attain desired level of processing
required for safety in patient care items.
●● When passing the knife to the surgeon the best practice would be...
Answer: To place the knife into a designated tray and so the surgeon can
pick it up
●● The ultimate responsibility for the nurse's competency is:
Answer: Nurse
●● During a bowel resection for malignancy the circulating nurse
anticipates...
Answer: Prepare for regowning and regloving of the entire surgical team
at the field
●● When positioning a patient in a left lateral decubitus position
padding will be needed...
Answer: Between the knees
Lateral decubitus position is synonymous to lateral position. The flexed
knees may require padding to prevent pressure and shearing force.
,●● What does a uniform pattern on the Bowie -Dick indicate?
Answer: The vacuum cycle functioned properly
●● After the patient has signed the surgical consent she is given
Midazolam and brought to the surgical suite. She is then transferred to
the OR table. She tells the CRNA 'I don't want to do it'. The patient is
scheduled for an AV fistula so she can begin renal dialysis. The CRNA
asks "you don't want to have surgery?" The patient responds that she
does not. What should be the response of the surgical team?
Answer: The patient should be taken back to the holding area and the
surgeon notified of the patient's decision
●● Counting sponges is a nursing action. The nurse is accountable. The
belief that the surgeon is responsible for all actions taken by staff in
surgery, known as 'The Captain of the Ship' is outdated and no longer
legally valid. The nurse is legally responsible for the surgical count.
What type of law deals with injury to a person such as a retained object?
Answer: Tort law
A tort action law suit is filed when there is injury to a person caused by
another person. A retained object is tort claim.
●● What is the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS), and its
function?
Answer: The PNDS is a standardized vocabulary and care pathway in
electronic documentation that can be aggregated and analyzed. It's used
to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing care on patient outcomes
, ●● Mr S has tuberculosis and has just started a rifampin therapy this
week. He was admitted through the ED with active TB and acute
Cholecystitis. The patient is stable and being made comfortable on the
med/surg floor. At 1pm the general surgeon tells the charge nurse that
surgery needs to be done within the next 24 hours. The surgeon and
charge nurse collaborate to work the cholecystectomy patient into the
schedule. It would be best if this patient's case is:
Answer: scheduled at the end of the day today
●● The surgeon is preparing to place plaster cast on the patient after the
ORIF. According to rule of confine and contain what should happen
next? How should the perioperative nurse respond?
Answer: Ask the surgeon to remove his gown and gloves
●● Mr. S is coming to surgery for partial amputation of a foot because of
gas gangrene in the area after an injury. How should the perioperative
nurse respond?
Answer: Clean the room after the case as you would do for regular turn
over cleaning
●● Which of the following uses cavitation?
Answer: Ultrasonic cleaning
AND CORRECT ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
●● What the wound classification for vaginal hysterectomy?
Answer: Class 2
●● The CRNA is attempting to open the 25-year-old man's mouth for
intubation but the jaw is tight and she's having difficulty. Then the nurse
notices that the patient's capnograph is rising dramatically. As the CRNA
continues to struggle to open the jaw to intubate, the patient's heart rate
and blood pressure are rising. What is the appropriate response for the
perioperative nurse?
Answer: These are early signs of Malignant Hyperthermia. The
perioperative nurse tells the CRNA what she's seeing. The perioperative
nurse calls the OR desk to ask for help and that the MH cart be brought
to the room.
●● The 19-year-old patient arrives to the OR within 2 hours of a
traumatic open Tib/Fib fracture for ORIF. What wound class is it?
Answer: Class 3
A fresh open trauma is classified as Contaminated (Class 3), A fresh
trauma is one that is less than 4-6 hours old at the start of surgery.
●● Patients with one or more of Virchow's triad are at increased risk for
,Answer: Deep vein thrombosis
●● The Spaulding classification system is used to determine:
Answer: Appropriate methods to attain desired level of processing
required for safety in patient care items.
●● When passing the knife to the surgeon the best practice would be...
Answer: To place the knife into a designated tray and so the surgeon can
pick it up
●● The ultimate responsibility for the nurse's competency is:
Answer: Nurse
●● During a bowel resection for malignancy the circulating nurse
anticipates...
Answer: Prepare for regowning and regloving of the entire surgical team
at the field
●● When positioning a patient in a left lateral decubitus position
padding will be needed...
Answer: Between the knees
Lateral decubitus position is synonymous to lateral position. The flexed
knees may require padding to prevent pressure and shearing force.
,●● What does a uniform pattern on the Bowie -Dick indicate?
Answer: The vacuum cycle functioned properly
●● After the patient has signed the surgical consent she is given
Midazolam and brought to the surgical suite. She is then transferred to
the OR table. She tells the CRNA 'I don't want to do it'. The patient is
scheduled for an AV fistula so she can begin renal dialysis. The CRNA
asks "you don't want to have surgery?" The patient responds that she
does not. What should be the response of the surgical team?
Answer: The patient should be taken back to the holding area and the
surgeon notified of the patient's decision
●● Counting sponges is a nursing action. The nurse is accountable. The
belief that the surgeon is responsible for all actions taken by staff in
surgery, known as 'The Captain of the Ship' is outdated and no longer
legally valid. The nurse is legally responsible for the surgical count.
What type of law deals with injury to a person such as a retained object?
Answer: Tort law
A tort action law suit is filed when there is injury to a person caused by
another person. A retained object is tort claim.
●● What is the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS), and its
function?
Answer: The PNDS is a standardized vocabulary and care pathway in
electronic documentation that can be aggregated and analyzed. It's used
to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing care on patient outcomes
, ●● Mr S has tuberculosis and has just started a rifampin therapy this
week. He was admitted through the ED with active TB and acute
Cholecystitis. The patient is stable and being made comfortable on the
med/surg floor. At 1pm the general surgeon tells the charge nurse that
surgery needs to be done within the next 24 hours. The surgeon and
charge nurse collaborate to work the cholecystectomy patient into the
schedule. It would be best if this patient's case is:
Answer: scheduled at the end of the day today
●● The surgeon is preparing to place plaster cast on the patient after the
ORIF. According to rule of confine and contain what should happen
next? How should the perioperative nurse respond?
Answer: Ask the surgeon to remove his gown and gloves
●● Mr. S is coming to surgery for partial amputation of a foot because of
gas gangrene in the area after an injury. How should the perioperative
nurse respond?
Answer: Clean the room after the case as you would do for regular turn
over cleaning
●● Which of the following uses cavitation?
Answer: Ultrasonic cleaning
